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SUBMIT YOUR STORY

Welcome to the "Born This Way" blog!Are you ready to share your story with us?

Terrific!To submit: Please find your photo attachment, and post your story inside the body of your email, and click djpaulv[@]sbcglobal.net to email it to me.

Please put Born This Way submission as the subject.PLEASE read ALL the info, guidelines, and suggestions listed below, BEFORE you submit.

Submissions generally go up in the order received, and I'll
reply to your email once your posting is up. Please be patient! xo - Paul V., Blogmaster_____________________________________________

:: REQUIRED INFO FOR YOUR SUBMISSION ::* Your First Name * Your Age in the photo* The Year the photo was shot (it can be approximate) * The City/State (and country if needed) where you grew up

Follow this example:John, age 7
Dallas, Texas (1972)

SUBMISSIONS WITHOUT THIS INFO WILL NOT BE POSTED

STORY LENGTH: KEEP STORY WORD COUNTS TO ABOUT 300-500!

Hearing your own words about your experiences or feelings as an LGBTQ kid
is what really resonates. But approach what you write like a Twitter posting:

Short, succinct, informative, funny, interesting, and HONEST. But only the relevant, important details. All submissions are edited on some level.

Here's some guidelines for things to include in your story:
* A short description of your photo (who, what, where, when etc.)
* Any adjectives that come to mind describing yourself as a kid
* What age you first knew you were LGBTQ, or felt "different"
* What age you had your first awareness of a same-gender attraction or crush
* Who was your first, famous-person same gender crush or crushes
* What pop culture things excited you as a kid (toys, films, TV shows, music etc.)
* What memento or toy or clothing or hobby did you obsess over
* Your experiences (good or bad) with parents, family, school, friends etc.
* If you were ever bullied, teased, or physically harmed for being gay
* If your family's ethnicity or where you grew up made it harder to be LGBTQ
* Describe if any religion was a part of your upbringing (good or bad)
* Explain your process or reactions of actually coming out (good or bad)
* Any feelings you have about your picture now, as an adult
* Brief info on your life experience now (your career, partner, kids etc.)
* What gives you the most pride now as an LGBTQ adult* Any message you'd like to give to LGBTQ kids reading your story

Choose one photo that you feel reveals something about you and/or your childhood. The cutoff age in your photo should be around age 12. And please briefly ID any other people in your pic. If other people in your pic need their identity obscured, PLEASE let me know that. Also, please try to send the best possible resolution/scan of your photo.And please let me say this: There is a misconception, that you haveto find a pic that "screams gay" to be considered. This.Is.Not.True!Any self photo you choose to send, in good resolution, is perfect.

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:: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ::Your picture & story submission email constitutes that you are the owner of the picture, and it automatically becomes your consent for your photograph, likeness, and story usage on the "Born This Way" blog and its possible usage on other blogs or websites linking to this site.The "Born This Way" blog reserves the right to publish your story and image at our discretion. We also reserve the right to use and modify submissions as standard procedure. When you submit to BornThisWayblog.com, you are granting us the right to a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, fully exclusive right to use, reproduce, modify, translate, adapt, publish, create derivative works from, distribute, and delete such content in other works in any form, media or technology now known or hereafter developed.THANKS! Paul V.

The "Born This Way: Real Stories Of Growing Up Gay" book is out now in all bookstores. Please support your local LGBT and independent bookstores whenever possible. Click the image below to locate an indie bookstore near you.